Speaking to the drinks business, Berry Bros & Rudd’s fine wine buying director, Max Lalondrelle said that the merchant had sold “under 20 cases of the cumulative total of what’s been released”, which so far includes Doisy-Daëne, Doisy-Vedrines, Suduiraut and Coutet. This is in contrast to over 600 cases of Angludet BBR shifted in a day and will likely be exceeded by Sociando Mallet which it is offering today. The problem does not lie in the quality of the wines, either from this vintage or previous ones, but rather the price – even though current release prices are as much as 50% lower than they were in 2010. “Very few of the releases of the Sauternes have made sense in terms of pricing,” Lalondrelle continued, “not doubting the quality but it’s difficult to say, hand on heart, buy it now when it’ll be cheaper in two years.” When Suduiraut released this week, BBR sent its offer with the caveat that there were still stocks of older vintages, the 1989 and 2010, available.

“The release prices of Suduiraut is €47 [a bottle ex-merchant],” explained Lalondrelle. “We have bought and still have in stock some 1989 [17 cases], not as fine as 2014 but ready to drink and delicious at €44 [a bottle].” As such, although admittedly a “very good wine” he continued there is, “absolutely no incentive as far as consumers and we are concerned,” to buy the ‘14.top 100 wine in china Although BBR hasn’t offered any more, the problem of cheaper back vintages is not unique to Suduiraut. one hope wine australiaLalondrelle said it was perfectly easy to find and offer consumers 2002 Coutet at €23 a bottle when the 2014 – which he admitted was a “pretty good” price – is €25.best wine in australia 2013

Ditto Château de Malle, which is being offered at a reasonable €20 a bottle but the 2003 can be bought for €14.50 – BBR currently has 100 cases to sell. The problem is a large amount of back vintages on the secondary market which are either sitting unsold in négociant and merchant’s cellars or are being resold by consumers who need to make some space in theirs or who realised they just don’t drink enough Sauternes to hold on to what they’ve got.buy wine online free delivery in india The result is price depression and leaves current vintages being released as more expensive or only marginally cheaper than physical and ready-to-drink vintages – which no one appears to be drinking either.best wine bars in nyc 2014 Sauternes has some of the worst performing wines over the last 10 years, average prices for Coutet, Climens, Rieussec, Suduiraut and Yquem falling between 19% and 37% between 2004 and 2013 according to Liv-ex.where to buy wine in paris france

The 2004 vintage is the last time any of those estates saw a return on investment and a couple have declined in price every year over the past 10. As such, merchants are often unwilling to actively point consumers towards Sauternes. Particularly in these rather more parlous times for en primeurs, merchants want consumers to splash out on the more lucrative reds and not be put off buying a case of claret from Château “X” because they’ve already spent part of their budget on Sauternes. And, more altruistically on their part, because the price doesn’t make sense. “We don’t tell people to buy it in the majority of cases because there’s no deal,” said Lalondrelle. “We want to sell but we’d rather they save their powder for something they really want.” This is especially cruel for Sauternes which, above all producers and regions in Bordeaux, has done its upmost to cut prices over the years even though the region has consistently produced some of the best wine from Bordeaux in the last decade and a half and has production costs two to three times above Bordeaux reds.

But consumers don’t want sweet wines. “Sauternes is facing a huge consumer problem,” said Lalondrelle, “I’m not blaming them, maybe some at the top, but it’s the state of the Sauternes market. A bit like the Port market 10-15 years ago and as it is still. There aren’t enough consumers there.” The flipside is that there are lots of affordable old vintages of Sauternes on the market and in more positive news is that these do seem to sell quite well. Lalondrelle reported that the 2002 Coutet and 2003 de Malle are selling quite well and that BBR had sold 70 cases of 1996 Yquem in the past few months. But to add yet another problem to the mix, it’s going to take a long time for that pool to contract. Joss Fowler of Fine & Rare said that the merchant has over 1,000 Sauternes listings on its system at the moment, the choice is “broad” and it’s highly unlikely even the most ardent Sauternes lover is going to pick up 10 cases. “I can find any vintage of mature Rieussec and I just need one case,” he told db having revealed that despite loving Sauternes he couldn’t remember the last time he’d opened a bottle.

“It offers extraordinary value for money, like vintage Port,” Fowler continued, “But like Port even people who like it don’t drink it very often.” So what of the 2014s? “The beauty is in 10-15 years we’ll be able to buy some old Sauternes,” suggested Laondrelle – and then not drink it.Afternoon TeaCupcakes, scones and dainty sandwiches, we have dozens of offers. »Dining Offers from £10Busy day? Can’t be bothered cooking? Catch up with friends? Whether it's spaghetti, pizza, gnocchi or another Italian favourite, get the best Italian restaurant offers here. »Get dining offers firstGet the 5pm Dining email every week so you don’t miss the best restaurant offers. Restaurants We Love Located in the old General Post Office building on George Square, Browns has timeless interiors; smartly turned out staff and simple but well sourced and prepared dishes.£19.95 for 2 courses on Taste the Season Menu + drink (Thur) The Galvin Brasserie de Luxe is a chic Parisian-style brasserie, part of The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Princes Street, in the heart of Edinburgh.£17.50 for 2 courses on seasonal menu + glass Prosecco Explore restaurantsNew RestaurantsRated RestaurantsSpecial Offers British

, Gastro PubNamed after a Georgian tax on windows, Daylight Robbery is a cool bar, diner and late night hangout on Dublin Street in Edinburgh's New Town. Tiled walls, booths and banquette seating plus classic film posters make for a simple but atmospheric setting. A quirky, dimly-lit, speakeasy basement bar -Downstairs Robbery - opens late at weekends.  » American, BurgersThe Raven is a welcoming bar and restaurant on Renfield Street in Glasgow city centre. The stripped back decor at The Raven allows customers to focus on the stuff that really matters: smokehouse menus, craft beers and all the sport you could wish for over eleven big screens. The ever changing roster of craft and cask ales is a real draw. » ModernA smart contemporary dining space, Flemings Restaurant is part of The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort by Cumbernauld. Nestling at the foot of the Campsie Hills, the hotel and Flemings are popular with business and leisure guests plus, of course, golfers who come to play the hotel's par 72 course. 

» European, French, ModernMarket Kitchen is a family-run, French restaurant on Warrington Road, Ashton in Makerfield. The charming decor makes for a warm and homely atmosphere. In fact, Market Kitchen's interior design would not look out of place in a village bistro in La France profonde. An open kitchen allows diners to watch the chefs in action or you can keep an eye on the street life through the large windows. » ItalianRated /5 from reviewsCelino's Italian is an award-winning family run restaurant on Alexandra Parade east of Glasgow's city centre. The owners insist on only selling food they would eat themselves and this ensures the quality that keeps people coming back. » Italian, MediterraneanRated /5 from reviewsOwned and run by the renowned Giovanazzi family since 1978, La Parmigiana has received huge praise and is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the city. » IndianRated /5 from reviewsA mainstay of Indian cuisine in Glasgow’s south side since 1991, Ashoka provides great Indian cuisine in a relaxed, cosy atmosphere.

The restaurant is located on Clarkston Road and serves traditional Indian dishes in a relaxed, welcoming setting.  » Bistros & BrasseriesRated /5 from reviews279 Cafe Bistro is a cosy, family-owned restaurant situated on Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road, close to Partick Cross. The bistro opened in 2008 with the admirable aim of providing freshly cooked, simple and tasty food. 279 Cafe Bistro offers a pre-theatre and regularly changing dinner menus. » Steaks & GrillRated /5 from reviews£29A la carte available& » Italian, Pizza Rated /5 from reviews£8.95£8.95 for main course on main menu + glass of wine or bottle of beer& » ItalianRated /5 from reviews£12.50£12.50 for 2 courses on novelty lunch menu& » Chinese, InternationalRated /5 from 6 reviews£7.99£7.99 for 3 courses on lunch menu& » Latest Videos 4 boutique gins to try recommended by beGIN GlasgowBar Supervisor Jack from beGIN Bar & Restaurant in Glasgow talks us through four of their most popular boutique gins: Stirling Gin, Brockmans, G'Vine and Shetland Reel. 

» Edinburgh's The Witchery cooks Roast Breast of Duck with Madeira & foie gras jusWatch Executive Chef Douglas Roberts from The Witchery By The Castle restaurant in Edinburgh cook Roast Breast of Gartmorn Farm Duck, Confit of carrot, potato fondant, Madeira & foie gras jus. » Latest NewsYou Dine Out, we’ll donate to Action for Children’s Moving On projectDo you want to help out a charity by eating out? Check our Dine Out promotion with Action for Children.It is very simple. Book selected offers at Glasgow restaurants, between 10-23 April, and 5pm will donate 100% of our profits from your booking to Action for Children’s Moving On project.The more you eat out, the more money goes is raised for money for… New bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh: Beer Kitchen and White Horse Oyster BarNew bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh plus a new restaurant in St Andrews? The 5pm Dining blog has all the skinny. As has been widely reported, the latest Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen opens on Ashton Lane today at noon.